MOUNTAIN DISPATCH

VOLUNTEERS FOR OUTDOOR COLORADO

AIARE’S WOMEN’S MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Since 1984 Volunteers for Outdoors Colorado has been motivating and enabling people to become active stewards of Colorado’s natural resources.

Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) hosts approximately 60 volunteer projects throughout the state each year, engaging people of all ages and abilities in actively caring for Colorado’s public lands. Volunteer projects range in difficulty and duration. Work includes:

• Trail construction and maintenance • Habitat restoration and invasive species management • Tree planting and urban gardening • Flood and fire restoration and mitigation • Park improvements and historic restoration

Not all volunteering positions involve physical labor. VOC also needs assistance with office work, photography, leadership and more. Head to their website to discover an opportunity near you.

www.voc.org

The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) along with supporting partners Rab, Mammut, and the GORE-TEX brand, has launched the second season AIARE’s Women’s Mentorship Program. The program aims to welcome women across all levels of experience in the industry, build networks, and provide a mentorship framework for participants to replicate in future peer and mentor relationships.

Women make up a disproportionately small number of avalanche educators in the U.S. and many women in the field find it difficult to grow and sustain their careers. The financial, sociological, and other barriers faced by everyone in the industry are often exacerbated for women. And those barriers can be even further amplified for women who are racialized, disabled, trans, mothers, poor/working class, and women who hold other historically marginalized identities.

This season, AIARE aims to connect 40 mentees with 8 mentors who have deep experience in the avalanche industry. AIARE and its partners strive to create a program flexible enough to accommodate a wide variety of women—and lay a strong foundation for a robust mentorship lifecycle for women avalanche educators, from those embarking on their careers to those with decades of experience.

Mentor applications are open now through August 15; mentee applications will be open from August 1 through September 1. In addition to running the Women’s Mentorship Program and offering women’s affinity courses to train instructors and aspiring avalanche professionals this season, AIARE and its supporting partners will host four public networking events across the country this fall. These events will be facilitated by women in the avalanche industry and are open to anyone interested in learning more, building their network, or taking the next step in their career.

These events will be hosted in Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, and Jackson Hole. For additional information about the Women’s Mentorship Program or opportunities that AIARE offers to support women’s advancement, visit: www.avtraining.org/womens-mentorship/.

STOP IDAHO SPRINGS FRISCO VAIL AVON

UNION STATION $6 $13 $20 $20

FEDERAL CENTER $6 $13 $20 $20

IDAHO SPRINGS - $8 $13 $13

FRISCO - - $6 $6

BUSTANG LAUNCHES NEW PEGASUS SERVICE

Pegasus is allowing people another option for travel along the Interstate 70 mountain corridor

The Colorado Department of Transportation’s new express shuttle, Pegasus, little brother to CDOT’s Bustang, began providing passenger service on Friday, May 27 with yearround departures from Denver’s Union Station, with stops at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Idaho Springs, Frisco, Vail, and Avon.

Gov. Jared Polis joined CDOT and other transit partners for the unveiling of the Pegasus shuttle in an effort to reduce traffic, air pollution while helping everyone with their budgets.

“We are continuing to save people time and money with more ways to get to and from the mountains. We are launching Pegasus to reduce traffic, help save Coloradans and visitors money on travel, and more easily explore our beautiful state,” said Gov. Polis.

A Pegasus shuttle seats up to 11 people, is wheelchair accessible, and equipped with USB ports, power outlets, and Wi-Fi. Each vehicle also has luggage storage, bike racks and ski/snowboard containers.

“In addition to helping to alleviate traffic congestion during peak travel times, we initiated Pegasus so that passengers could connect to local transit providers at each stop,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “In addition to complementing the existing Bustang coach service, Pegasus can utilize the express lanes on weekends, when traffic nearly doubles. In turn, we’ll have fewer cars in the regular lanes to improve the flow of traffic and that’ll help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The service will have hourly departures from sunrise to sunset along its East and West routes. This is a fantastic way to get to Denver and surrounding neighborhoods from our mountain town communities. Jump on Pegasus and connect with an RTD Lightrail or Bus. Heading to DIA? This is certainly a convenient way to get to your gate.

“One fully-booked Pegasus shuttle is the equivalent of removing six two-person vehicles from the road,” said CDOT Division of Transit and Rail Director Amber Blake. “Multiply that by dozens of Pegasus trips each weekend and we can double our part in mitigating congestion, and help make the drive to the mountains safer and more enjoyable. Moreover, this service aligns with our mission of improving transit options and integrating transit into Colorado’s Transportation System.”

Discounted rates are available for senior/disabled and children 2-11 years. Follow service alerts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @RideBustang. Tickets also can be purchased through the Bustang mobile app available from Google Play and the App Store.

Although COVID-19 restrictions have been removed, some public safety measures remain, including:

Face masks required for drivers; strongly recommended for passengers but not mandatory

Additional personal protective equipment issued for drivers

Hand sanitizer wipes offered to passengers when boarding the van

Vans cleaned and disinfected upon completion of each route and after completion of each day’s routes, including all seats, safety belt buckles, head rests (front and back) and armrests

Ace Express Coaches of Golden contracts with CDOT to operate Pegasus.

It is encouraging to see more steps taken to encourage mass transportation. For more information on Pegasus routes, maps, schedules, tickets and more is at : www.ridebustang.com/pegasus